For example, an insulator used in a switching device has such a structure as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The insulator 1 includes a terminal 2 bent at a substantially right angle at a bending section 2a at a base end. A resin section 3 having an electric insulating property is provided at the base end and an area of the halfway to a tip end 2b standing from the base end of the terminal 2.
The insulator 1 having such a structure has been conventionally insert-molded by a molding tool 4 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Specifically, the molding tool 4 is composed of a fixed part 5 and a movable part 6. With the tip end 2b of the terminal 2 inserted in a holding section 6a of the movable part 6, molding resin 8 is poured into a molding space 7 formed in the molding tool 4 and solidified. Thereafter, the molding resin 8 is taken out from the molding tool 4 to mold the insulator 1.
However, in the above structure, the terminal is apt to become deformed, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, owing to the pressure of the resin 8 flowing through the molding space in molding the resin section 3 (the direction of flow of the resin 8 is indicated by arrow A). In order to prevent such deformation, the thickness, width, height or strength of material of the terminal 2 is limited and hence the freedom of design is greatly restricted.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for molding a resin section of a terminal without causing the deformation of a terminal, which can widen the degrees of freedom in the strength and design of the terminal.